Pulse Canada President Greg Cherewyk and Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Carl Potts are back home after being in China for meetings with customers of Canadian pulses and other products.

Canola oil, canola meal, and peas from Canada are subject to a 100 per cent tariff from China, while seafood and pork imports are subject to a 25 per cent tariff.

Cherewyk says they met with the Canada China Business Council (CCBC) and other Chinese organizations “to keep the line of communication open” and heard that “everyone wants a solution quickly.” 

“And in order to find that, you need to find common ground,” Cherewyk added. “You need to find the areas that makes sense to both sides.

It’s industry sitting down as supplier and as customer and try to work through a very difficult time together and ensuring that we understand what might serve both of our needs well and what we need to do to encourage our respective governments to get down to the business of finding a solution as quickly as possible.”

There were two things both sides agreed on, said Cherewyk. One is the long-standing trade relationship between the two countries is built on trust and quality, especially when it comes to yellow peas, which is turned into high-valued products in China; and the other is industry in China views Canada as an ally and a partner in working “together to develop a domestic market in China for that pea protein.”

“So on many levels, this is a mutually beneficial relationship,” he added. 

A Pulse Canada news release points out China imports over $700 million worth of Canadian yellow peas each year. 

Cherewyk says prior to leaving for China, as well as before the election call, Pulse Canada and other groups representing the pork and seafood sectors met with Prime Minister Mark Carney to emphasize that these trade issues need to be resolved as soon as possible. 

Trade is also the main election priority that Pulse Canada wants to see candidates focus on for the remainder of the campaign.